arbiters

plural of arbiter
as in referees
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy the dean of student affairs is the proper arbiter when a student disputes a grade

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of arbiters For the next fifty years, insurance companies, not doctors, were the chief arbiters of corpulence. Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026 This setup, wherein a group of arbiters hide behind a curtain like the Wizard of Oz and hand down decisions that inflict generational trauma on entire countries, almost feels purposefully built to invite all sorts of wild speculation. Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 14 July 2026 Just as decisions should be devolved to the smallest competent unit rather than centralized bureaucracies, customers — as the ultimate arbiters of value — must be empowered to judge what truly serves their needs and dignity. Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026 Moreover, clinicians are winning more than 70% of IDR disputes because independent arbiters recognize that insurers are underpaying. Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026 Later, criticism also came from arbiters of high modernism, such as Clement Greenberg, who wrote off New Deal art as kitsch for the masses. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026 Are the corporations that release the powerful technology the arbiters of their fate? Jake Angelo, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026 Judges here run in partisan elections but are expected to be neutral arbiters on the bench. Charlotte Observer, 16 Feb. 2026 What explains the loss of poise and dignity among the traditional arbiters? Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbiters
Noun
  • The state compared Atrium to a soccer team whining about the referees.
    Bob Herman, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Dulcich would have also been flagged for holding a few times if referees were at practice.
    Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Chow, a trial lawyer by trade, led her own defense during the court case which – like all of Hong Kong’s national security cases – was heard by a panel of three judges selected to oversee such proceedings and not a jury.
    Chris Lau, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The Kowalczyk decision reset the status quo for money bail, ruling that judges must consider other non-monetary alternatives before assigning bail.
    Evelyn Ronan, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The umpires congregated for 15 seconds, and then went back to playing ball.
    Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • After a brief huddle by the umpires, plate ump and crew chief Alan Porter ejected Martin without any warning issued.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Arbiters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbiters. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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